Unit door-control system



May 5, 1925.

H. ROWNTREE UNIT DooR CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Jne 4, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR May 5, "1925. K H. ROWNTREE UNIT D003 CONTROL SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June v4, 1921 G 4 n ollhcloovohn Patented May s, 192s.

. UNITED STATES A i 1,536,813l PATENT oFEicE.

HAROLD ROWNTREE, OF PASS CHRISTIAN, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR T NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

UNIT DOOR-CONTROL SYSTEM.

applicati@ med June 4; 1921. serial No. 478,140.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD RowNTREE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Pass Christian, in the county of Harrison, 5 State of Mississippi, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Unit kDoo'rv Control Systems, of which the `following is v a specification.

This invention relates to unit-'door controll systems for cars. v

The object of the invention is to provide a unit door control system for cars, and is particularly directed towards the provision of means whereby the doors may be power actuated in their closing movements, but may be either free for manual operation individually in their opening movements, or

power actuated to open position, as may bedesired.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a system of door control wherein all of the doors are locked in their closed positions,

a means common to all of thedoor locks being provided to eii'ecta simultaneous release of all the doorlocks.

provide a4 unit door control system of the nature referred to whereby, when the' doors are unlocked, any individual door may-be 30 `opened either manually or by power operatreferred to, having combined therewith a signalling means to indicate when all of the doors occupy their closed and locked positions. l 40 Other objects of the invention will a'p- `pear-more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction,l combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed `out in the appendedcla'ims. v

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of a unit door control system to a plurality of doors in accordance with the principles of my invention. A

Fig. 2 is a similar view in plan, illustrating a modied door operating mechanism suitable for use'in carrying out my invention.

' eration an place under the supervision and control of A further object of the invention is to Fig. 3 is a broken view in elevation, illustrating af form of power actuated mechanism suitable for use' in carrying out my invention. Y

According to existing practice in the opy contro1 of doors on subway, elevated, and other passenger or street car systems, the control of each door in its open` ing and closing movements is supervised or eii'ected by a guard stationedin close proximity to the door to be operated, the operation of each door being accomplished according to the requirements of the trac. According to more recent development of the system of door operation and control, the tendency has been to increase the number of doorways and doors, and to decrease the number of guardsor attendants so as to.

each guard the operation and control of a number of doors, the guard, sometimes, efecting the control of doors of other cars besides the one on which he is stationed. In the practical operation of this multiple unit control system as now employed in practice the operations of the doors are accomplished more or less by schedule, all of the doors being opened when the car or train arrives at a station platform, and after a predetermined interval, the doors being closed through the control of the guards, each guard endeavoring as best he may from a distance to judge when to close each door under his control, or relying upon the safety shoes with which the front edges of doors in modern .90 practice are equipped to prevent injury to any passenger that may be struck by the advancing edges of a door in closing.

One serious objection tothis methodofA control is, particularly in the case of cars or trains operating in the vopen air, as in the case of elevated trains, for example,

that it may often happen that all the doors of acar or train will be opened on the arrival of the canor train at a station or platform, thereby admittingrain, snow or other atmospheric elements, or causing the cars to become chilled, where perhaps no passengers desire to alight from or to board the car.

In 'accordance with my present invention, 105 I propose to provide a unit door control system in which control of the door operation is effected automatically, and not by the interposition of a guard or guards, particularly with respect tothe closing movements 1W kdoors when -the train stops.

of the door, suchmovements being eHected, in accordance with my invention, through the operation of power driven mechanism, which, if desired, may be controlled through suitable safety devices to prevent injury to a passenger in case the closing door should strike a passenger in its closing movements. And, with reference to the opening movements of the door, l propose,` in accordance with my invention, to leave each door free to be moved manually towards open position by persons either on the car or on the station platform, or to control power actuated means for opening any individual door by the act of persons either on the car or on the station platform.

In connection with this system, and forming part of my invention, propose to' employ a lock device for each door to lock the same in its closed position, the locks for-all of the doors having means common to all of them to effect thesimultaneous unlocking of the locks. Also, in accordance with my invention, and forming a part of the same, 1

propose to employ .a signalling system which will indicate to the motorman, for.

instance, when all the doors are closed and locked in their closed positions, thereby' indicating when it is safe for the car or train to be put intomotion.

important and essential features of a system of unit door control embodying my invention should include, first, provision of means to indicate when `all of the doors throughout the system are closed and locked in their closed positions, to the end that the car or train will not be started until the doors are closed and locked. Secondly, the provision of doors suitable for passengers to use in boarding or alighting, and, in addition thereto, means for unlocking all of the Thirdly, the only doors that are opened are those which the passenger or passengers throughout the train-desire to use. In other words,vif at any door there is no passenger desiring to get on or off of the train the door remains closed. And, fourthly, passengers can be educated to open the doors they desire to use but can not be expected to close the same, and ltherefore the closing must be effected efficiently, speedily, and preferably by power devices, and where a single control of the entire train is desired by a single operation throughout the entire train for effecting the closure of all doors that have been Aopened without in any way deranging or affecting the doors that have not been. opened other than to effectively lock the same in their closed position. Therefore, in accordance with my invention, providea pneumatic engine for each door of the type where the engine -is controlled by two electro-magnets, so thatwhen one is energized and the other deenergized the door. Opens,

and when the reverse-is the case the door closes. The door cushioning means may or may not be provided in both opening and closing in accordance with the standard practice in pneumatic operated doors. I 4further employ a collapsible shoe on the front of the door of each car so arranged that an electrical contact is made when the shoe is depressed or collapsed. 1 also employ a door lock and a relay magnet switch for effectively controlling the Aoperation of the system, as hereinbefore generally described. Referring specifically to the drawing, I have shown my invention in its broadest scope as applied to a system where the motive power for the doors in closing is effected from a single motor 1, mounted preferably at one end of the car 2', the shaft 3 of which is provided with a wheel 4, which operates a worm 5 mounted on a shaft 6, the ends of the shaft 6 being provided with sprockets 7, over which operate endless chains 8. The respective doors illustrated diagrammatically'at 9 equipped with the collapsible shoes 10 at the front edge thereof, are provided in addition thereto with a lugv11, which forms a pivotal mount for a bell cranklever, one leg 12 of which is positioned to be rocked when the shoe 10 is collapsed, the other end 13 of which'is provided with teeth adapted to engage the chain 8 to be moved thereby, and normally held in engagement therewith by a spring 14. With this arrangement it will be seen, assuming that the top chain 8 is moving toward the left, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the door is moved towards the left to its closed position, but in the eventthe door encounters an obstruction in its closing movement sufficient to compress the shoe 10 relative to the door 9,- the bell crank lever 12, is rocked upwardly, thereby rocking downwardly the portion 13 thereof, and in consequence disengaging against the action of the spring 14 the teeth carried thereby which engage the chain 8. With the shoe compressed the door may be moved to its completely open position, or may be held in a stationary position. As soon, however, assuming that the motor 1 is continuously operating as the shoe 10 assumes its extended position, the teeth of the leg ofthe bell crank lever again engage chain A8 and the door is moved on to its closed position. When the shoe collapses, eitherby reason of meeting an obstruction orwhen the door` is closed, it will move longitudinally and upwardly, as is well known to the art and as is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,200,826, October 10, 1916. This will cause the levers 12 and 13 to rock as stated above, and teeth of lever 13 will disenga-ge leaving. the power means, or chains 8, free to move.

It will he apparent that where it is desired to move the door in the opposite direction from that just described, that may be effected by having the bell crank levers 12, 13, engage the lower chain 8, the construction and` operation being substantially identical with that ust described.

The 4door lock employed in accordance with my invention consists similarly of a manually as hereinbefore described. Simulalo taneously therewith the leg 17 of the bell crank lever alsoopens the circuit which is normallymaintained between contacts 19 and 20, and which, iff desired, may be included in the circuit of the signal device and utilized as will be more fully hereinafter described to notify thev motorman, 'or any other erator, that the door has been closed and lgted. It will be readily understood that if the door 9 has been opened but a"- short distance, even though the magnet 18 is deenergized, the door itself prevents the de- -tent from slipping back into place until the door has been closed. Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I show an amplification of the invention thus far described, and wherein certain advantages are obtained, by employ` ing separate door motors for each door, and wherein the door 9 is equipped with a safety door shoe 10a of a slightly different construe` tion from that hereinbefore described, due to ythe fact that in this arrangement the vsafetyoontrol is effected electrically rather than mechanically. Each door is provided with `a motor 30, preferably of the pneumatic type commonly employedin door operation, the operation of which actuates a door rod 31 which is slidably mounted on a rod'32 carried at the rear edge of the door lto thereby control the opening and closing movements of the door. Each door motor is controlled by two suitable magnet valves, oneV thereof, .namely 33, being what I will term opening magnet valve, and the other 34, being the closing magnet val-ve, it-.being readily understood by those skilled in the art that when magnet- 33 is energizedzthe motor is operated to open the door, and that when themagnet 34 is energized the motor is operated to close the door. The door shoe l 10 in this arrangement is of the electrical type, that is, when the shoe is collapsed a normally opened circuit is closed. This may be effected in any suitable way', for example, by having one terminal of the circuit enclosed in a flexible rubber casing, the terminal comprising a conducting rod 35 p ositioned within the casing, and the other terminal comprising a fiexiblesprin-g member, such coiled spring 36 surrounding the rigid rod 35 so that when pressure is exerted against spring 36 contact is established between spring 36 and rod 35. In the arrangenient shown current is supplied tothe system from a supply line 40 controlled by any suitable switch device positioned to be -readily controlled by the operator 41. The

supply line 40, it will be understood, ex-

tends through all of the doors suitable for use at any particular station, or on one side of the car, andvwhere more than one car is employed throughout the entire train, it may be termed a train line. Each of the doors is equippedwith what I will terma control magnet 42, which magnet is connected onone side to ground as indicated,

`and on the other side tothe train line 40.

magnet 49. The door locking detent illustrated at 50 is mechanically moved by armature'43 to release the same, and a spring 51 normally tends to retain the door lock or detent in its locked position behind the rear end of the door. When the detent is in its locked position an arm 52 thereof establishes electrical circuit between contact terminals 53 and 54 which is a seriatim circuit passing through all of the door lock devices to a signal for the motorman at the front of the train, it being readily understood that a source of current is included in this circuit whereby when all ofthe detents arein the position shown in Fig. 1 the circuit is then, and only then, completed, and current supplied to the signal device at the front o f the train, thereby electrically signalling that all of the doors are closed. When, however, the detent or lock is released'by supplying current to the magnets 42 the arm 52 of the j detent or lock establishes circuit connection between contact terminals 55 and 56. Each contact terminal 56 is connected to a power wire 57, which, in the event that a train of 'cars is employed, will extend throughout the length of the train. The magnet 49 is con` nected to the contact terminal 55 at one terminal thereof, the other terminal being connected to the door rod.35, the armature 48 'sie circuit between armature 48 and contact terminal 47, and closes the circuit between armature 48 and contact terminal 60, which contact terminal is connected to opening magnet 33 of the motor 30, and thence to ground.

The operation of the system thus described is as follows :-Assuming the doors to be all in their closed position, either in the car or on the train of cars. as the case may be, and the car or train of cars comes to rest at a station, the operating switch 41 is closed which supplies current from the main to all of the control magnets 42. and thence to ground. Energizing magnets 42 attracts armatures 43, thereby mechanically moving the door locks out of engagement behind the doors 9. It' will be apparent that beyond ,unlocking the doors the mere closing of the switch 41 will not affect any operation of the door motor, due

`,tol the fact. that the contact terminal 60, of

the opening magnet 33 thereof, remains open. Therefore' no door of the train or car, as the case may be, will be open. If. however, a passenger desires to enter or leave the car, or pass through the door, such passenger grasps the handle 70 carried by the collapsible shoe 10a and moves the same naturally in the door opening direction. r-Fhis establishes the following circuit con-f nection, power line 57, contact terminal 56,

Contact terminal 55, (the detent or lock 50 having been shifted by the initial actua-tion of the switch 41, thereby opening the signal circuit controlled by contact terminals l53 and 54, andclosing the circuit between contact terminals 55 and 56), magnet switch 49, rod 35, spring 36, to ground. Energizing the magnet 49 attracts the armature 48, thereby completing the circuit through armature 48, contact terminal 60, opening magnet valve 33,` thereby actuating the motor to open the same, and the motor will continue to operate as long as pressure is exerted on the door shoe 10a, suflicient at least to cause the spring 36 and rod 35 to remain in contact with each other. lt will be apparent however, that when the pressure is removed from the door shoe 10a the door willnot close but will merely remain stationary, capable of being manually pushed open by pressure onthe door 9, or continued further in its pneumatic operation by again collapsing the shoe. The operator who initially unlocks the doors by operation of the switch 41. after the elapse of a reasonable amount of ,time,I opens the switch 41, or, in other words, the switch 41 may be in the form of a push button which is heid depressed a suiicient time to allow any one who desires to get oil' the car to reach vthe door and open the same before the finger is removed therefrom. As soon however as the switch 41 becomes open the control magnet 42 becomes deenergized, a1- lowinglcircuit connection to be established between contacts 45 and 46 by armature 43 operated by spring 44. Every door, the shoe 1G o'fwhich is not collapsed at that moment, and ,in consequence the magnet 49 energized thereby, and which door is open, receives current through power line 57, contacts 56, 55,*armature 48, contact 47, contact 45, armature 43, contact 46, closing magnet valve 34 to ground, thereby 'causing the motor 30 to operate to close the door in the usual well known manner. 1t will be apparent that where the door is already closed, due to the fact that' no passenger has opened the same, the opening of the switch 41 merely results in allowing the 'lock 50 to assume its door locked position. If, however, the door has moved even an inch or so from its completely closed position when the locks or detents 50 were released by the initial closure of the switch 41, the operation of the door motor 3() through the energizing of its closing magnet valve 34, as 'above set forth, occurs.

Now, during the closingmovement of the door, if the door should meet an obstruction such as a passenger who hasnot completely entered or 'leftthe car, the door shoe 10 is collapsed and the pressure necessary to cause the 'collapsing of the same is, as hereinbefore set forth, exceptionally supplied,

and the circuit is again established between terminals 35, 36, to again energize magnet valve 49, open the circuit between armature 48 and contact 47, and thence to closing magnet valve 34, as above described, and establishes the circuit between armature 48 and contact 60, and thence to opening magnet valve 33, whereby the Adoor is again caused to open until the circuit is broken between terminals 35 and 36 by the obstruction either being withdrawn or by thevdoor withdrawing away therefrom. As soon however as the shoe 16a becomes extended again, the vswitch 41 being still open, magnet 49 again becomes deenergize'd and armature 48 assumes the position shown in the drawing. whereby current is again supplied to the closing magnet valve, and this operation takes place rapidly,` and in the'succession above set forth, until no obstruction is encountered by thedoor. or any of the doors. and the door assumes its completely closed position., whereby spring 51 causes detent lock 50 to enter behind the door to lock the door in its completely closed position. open the circuit between contacts 55 and 56. and close the signal circuit controlled'by contacts 53. 54. whereby not only norma and the terminals 256k and 35 are brought in contact with 'each other.

It will be apparent 'that the structures selected for illustrating my invention here involved are largely diagrammatic, and many modii'ications and changes in details will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the claims, and I therefore desire to have the 'foregoing descriptionand the illustrations open circuits for controlling the door opening and closing movements of said power means, means carried by the door to permit the manual opening thereo when said locking means is in neutral position, and means controlled thereby for closing the door opening circuit.

2. The combination with a door, of power means for controlling said door, means for lookin said door in closed position, normally open circuits for controlling the door opening and closing movements of said power means, means carried by the door to permit the manual opening thereof when said locking means is rendered inei'ective,`

and means controlled4 thereb the door o ening circuit, an the same c osed as long as manual eiort is exerted towards door opening position.

3. The combination with aldoor, of power for closing means for controlling said door, means for lookin 'said door in closed position, norma y open circuits for controlling the door opening and closing movements of said power means, a collapslble shoe carried at the front edge of said door, means carried by said shoe to permit the manual operation of said door when said locking means is rendered ineffective and means controlled thereby for closingV the door openingcircuit.

4. The combination with a door, of power means for controlling said door, means for locking said door in closed position,

door opening and closing movements of said power means, a collapsible shoe carried at the front edge of said door, means carried by said shoe to permit the manual operation of said door when said locking means is rendered ineffective, and means controlled thereby for closing the door opening circuit maintaining open circuits for controlling the 'manual eliort is exerted towards door open position.

5. The combination with a door, of power means for closing the door, means whereby said door may be manually opened and a locking device for rendering ineffective the said means, means for temporarily rendering said locking device inoperative, and means for automatically .operating said locking device when the door reaches its closed position from its open or partially open position.

6. The combination with a door, of a door lock, means for releasing said lock to permit the manual operation of the door, a; circuit forcontrolling said lock releasing means, apower devicerfor controlling said, door, a normally open closing circuit for actuating said device to close the door, a normally open opening circuit for actuating said device to open the door, said lock controllingboth said opening and closing circuits.

7. The combination with a door,of a door lock, means for releasing said lock to permit the manual operation of the-door, a circuit for controlling said lock releasing means, a power device for controlling said door, anormally open closing circuit for actuating said device to close the door, a normally open opening circuit Vfor actuating lsaid device to open the door, and'means controlled bythe openin of the circuit of said lock releasing means or closing the closing circuit.

8. `Th'e combination with a door, of a' door lock, means for releasing said lock to permit the manual operation of. the door,` a `circuit `for controlling said lock releasing means,- a

an obstruction in closing for opening the closing circuit and closing the opening cirf cuits. i

9. The combination with a door, of a door lock, means for releasing said lock to permit the manual operation of the door, a circuit for controlling said lock releasing means, a power device for controlling said door, a normally open closing circuit for actuating said device to close the door, a normally open opening circuit for actuating said device to open the door, means controlled by the opening of the circuit of said lock releasing mea-ns vfor closing the closing circuit, and means controlled by the door encountering an obstruction in closing for opening the closing circuit and closing the opening cir` cuit and for again opening the opening circuit and closing the closing circuit when the and maintaining the same closed as long'as obstruction has been removed..

CTI

a plurality of doors,

of normally operative power means --for closing' all of the doors, and manually operated means carried on said doers for causing each of said power means to open any door on which pressure is exerted towards open position from completely closed position.

12. The combination with a plurality of y doors, of automatic means for locking each door when the same assumes its completelyl closed position, means ior simultaneously releasing the locks of'all of the doors to permit the manualopening of any door by a. person desiring to pass therethough, means for rendering said locking means ineffective when said door has been moved from its closed position; and means for siinultaneously closing all of the doors that have been opened. I

13. The combination with a plurality of doors, 0I" automatic means for locking'cach door when the same assumes its completely closed position, means for simultaneously releasing the locks of all of the doors to permit the manual opening of any door by a' person desiring to pass therethrough, means `tor rendering said locking means ineffective when said door has been moved from its closed position; power devices for closing the doors, and means for simultaneously actuating said power devices.

14. The combination with a plurality of doors, of automatic means for locking each door when the same assumes its completel i closed position, means for simultaneously releasing the locks of all ,of the doors to permit the manual opening of any door by a person desiring to pass therethrough, means for simultaneously closing all of the doors that have been opened, and means controlled by each door for rendering its door closing means inoperative when and as long as an obstruction exists during its door closing movement;

15. The combination with a plurality of doors, of automatic means for locking each door when the same assumes its completely closed position, means for simultaneously releasing tlie locks of all of the doors to permit the manual opening of any'door by a person desiring to pass therethrough, power de* vices for closing the doors, means for simultaneously actuating said power devices, and

' means controlled by each door vfor rendering its door closing means inoperative when and as long as an obstruction exists during its door closing movement.

16. The combination with a plurality of doors, of power means for controlling each Vo" said doors, normally open power circuits movement tlieieoftowards open position,. m

means controlled thereby for closing the door opening circuit of that door, a main control circuit for controlling said power circuits, and means actuated by the closure of said main control circuit to render said door opening circuit in a condition to be closed upon manual manipulation of the door.

18. The combination with a plurality of doors, of power means for controlling each of said doors, normally open power circuits for controlling the door opening and closing movements of said power means, means carried by each door to permit the manual movement thereof towards open position, ineanscontrolled thereby for closing the door opening circuit of that door, a main control circuit for controlling said power circuits, and means actuated by the opening of said main control circuit to automatically close the door closing circuit of each door-that is open.

19. The combination with a plurality of doors, of power means for controlling cach of said doors, normally open power circuits for controlling the door opening and closing movements of said power means, means carried by each door to permit the manual movement thereof towards open position, means controlled thereby for closing the door opening circuit of that door, a main control circuit-for controlling said power circuits, means actuated by the closure of said main control circuit to render said door opening circuit in a condition to be closed upon manual manipulation of the door, and means actuated by the opening of said main control circuit to automatically close the door closing circuit of each door that is open.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 1st day of June A. D., 1921.

HAROLD ROWNTREE. 

